BREAKING NEWS: House votes for deal to avoid fiscal cliff 257 representatives in favor, 167 against

[trailmonkee]

http://www.pal-item.com/article/20130101/UPDATES/130101009

WASHINGTON (AP) — Weary lawmakers in the House pushed at last toward a final congressional vote on legislation to avoid a national “fiscal cliff” of middle class tax increases and spending cuts, a New Year’s Night culmination of a struggle that tested divided government to the limit.

Passage sends the measure to President Barack Obama for his signature and seal a political triumph less than two months after he won re-election while calling for higher taxes on the wealthy. The late-night House vote took place less than 24 hours after Senate action spilled over from New Year’s Eve into the pre-dawn hours of 2013.

In addition to neutralizing middle class tax increases and spending cuts taking effect with the new year, the legislation raises tax rates on incomes over $400,000 for individuals and $450,000 for couples. That was higher than the thresholds of $200,000 and $250,000 that Obama campaigned for. But remarkably, in a party that swore off tax increases two decades ago, dozens of Republicans supported the bill at both ends of the Capitol.

Supporters of the bill in both parties expressed regret that the bill was narrowly drawn, and fell far short of a sweeping plan that combined tax changes and spending cuts to reduce federal deficits. That proved to be a step too far in the two months since Obama called congressional leaders to the White House for a post-election stab at compromise.

Majority Republicans did their best to minimize the bill’s tax increases, just as they abandoned their demand from earlier in the day to add spending cuts to the package.

“By making Republican tax cuts permanent, we are one step closer to comprehensive tax reform that will help strengthen our economy and create more and higher paychecks for American workers,” said Rep. Dave Camp of Michigan, chairman of the tax-writing House Ways and Means Committee.

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[Honeycombe8]

1. Finally! The House finally DID something! Phew. Not what we wanted, but not bad. Phew. nt

[Liberty Belle]

2. Is a roll call posted yet? Will someone please post it here?

[DainBramaged]

3. Weary

My wrinkled old ass. I'll tell them what weary means.
Weary, what bullshit.